


Second Chance

by sweetkisses



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Angst, Court, Divorce, Hospital, Jail, Louis-centric, M/M, Marriage, Older Harry, Younger Louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-25 20:20:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6208666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetkisses/pseuds/sweetkisses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis and Harry were married and now they are divorced. It is six months later when they meet again and it is not on the best terms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. This is just some things;
> 
> I edited it myself so let me know if there are any mistakes
> 
> I do not know anything about medical or law so do not call me out on them. 
> 
> And let me know what you think in the comments!!!! :)

"Another shot?" Louis asks as his date pours vodka into two shot glasses. His date doesn't answer but instead slides the glass over to Louis. 

 

"Drink bitch." He smirks and throws back his own shot. Louis' blue eyes look at the liquid in the shamrock covered shot glass. It's January but  _okay_. It stinks badly and vodka makes him spacey. Plus they already did three shots throughout this  _extremely romantic movie date_. Louis was told he would be made dinner -it was cold leftover pizza- along with a cute movie -they watched his date's movie audition where he " _was_   _so close was to being chosen but they wanted someone taller_  " -and if it all went well Louis would have maybe blew the guy but alas. Louis looks up at the man watching him. He's quite ugly, quite bit of an asshole and isn't Louis' type at all. 

 

He takes the shot. 

 

"I'm leaving." Louis announces. He stands up and fuck he's already drunk. Never sit and drink kids because you don't feel it as fast but when you feel it- oh god. Blue eyes grips the counter as he moves around the kitchen. 

 

"What?" His date, Sydeny, seems to be a bit drunk as well. Louis' a lightweight though. "No way. You can't leave me." 

 

Louis only walks past him. 

 

"Hey," he follows Louis, "you're not gonna come into my house, eat my food, take my shots and then leave with no sex. I'm not some free dick." 

 

"Well," he slips on his shoes with slight difficulty. He falls over and only has to grip the wall twice so doesn't fall. "First off, you're a horrible date. I did not have fun. Second, I'm here for a date with you so I shouldn't be expected to put out. And last, you are a dick so have fun with your own tonight." Louis grabs his jacket and leaves without a word from Sydeny. "What an asshole, all guys are just fucking assholes." He takes out his phone and dials it. 

 

"Hey! How did you're date go?" 

 

"You have really shitty friends you know." Louis starts to walk to his home, tilting his head down to keep his face from the cold wind. It's January and it's slightly snowing. Hopefully Louis gets home fast. 

 

"You're my friend so don't worry I know." 

 

"Ha. Ha. Niall." He fakes, "but seriously this guy tonight was just an asshole. Not a gentlemen at all." Louis scuffs, stumbling a bit from the shots. He hears Niall huff on the other side of the phone and even in Louis' drunk state he knows he pissed Niall off. 

 

"Breaking news Louis; not all guys our age are gentlemen. I mean I'm a fucking gentlemen to all my nice ladies but it's mostly because the nicer you are the more likely you'll get sex." Niall smirks. 

 

"So nasty. You're such a fucking horn dog." 

 

"And you're not?" Niall questions. 

 

"Excuse me, I haven't had sex in six fucking months. That's half a fucking year. That's almost a full year. I haven't gone this far without having sex since when I first lost my virginity." Louis sighs. 

 

"And you call me a horn dog."

 

"This guy told me he expected me to fuck. His beautiful homemade leftover cold pizza and talking about himself for two hours was just the way to get into my pants." Louis shakes his head. 

 

"He's a cool dude. We used to smoke pot all the time in college." Louis rolls his eyes at him. 

 

"Plus, he wasn't my type. You really need to pick dates better." He tells him. Niall huffs loudly thought the phone. Louis broke a nerve he can tell. Niall is just trying to help and Louis is being a little bitch. 

 

"Oh, sorry I'm a such a shitty friend because all I know about your type is that it is Harry."

 

Louis hangs up.

 

*

 

"Please stop calling." Louis mumbles into the pillow. His phone is shaking the whole fucking house as it vibrates obnoxiously on his bed stand. He blindly reaches his hand out and searches for the phone, answering it without opening his eyes. "Hello?" He mumbles, half into the pillow and half into the phone. 

 

"Hello, is Louis Tomlinson there?" A women asks. Louis opens his eyes and looks at his bright screen, a random number on it and oh look it's three in the morning. 

 

"This is he." He says cautiously. Why would someone being calling him right now? Maybe he won a prize?   

 

"Hello sir. My name is Nurse Carol from Saint Joseph Hospital-." 

 

"Hospital?!" Louis shoots up in his bed- all his sleep washed away. 

 

"Yes, sir. We have Harry Styles here-" Louis scampers out of bed and starts to grab the nearest pair of shoes he can find. "-he has been in a car accent-."

 

"Fuck! Is he okay?" Louis asks, holding his phone with one hand and searching for another shoe because right now he only has  _one fucking shoe_. Does he only own one pair of shoes? 

 

"Yes sir. He is stable and you are his only emergency contact so we are instructed to call you-" She keeps talking but Louis isn't listening he slips into a tennis shoe on one foot and a black TOM on the other. He doesn't even care right now, he needs to get to the fucking hospital. The blue eyed man grabs the closest jacket, his keys and walks out his door. 

 

"Which room is he?" Louis is slightly jogging to his car. 

 

"He is in room 367, will you be here shortly?" He nods even though she can't see him. His mind is cloudy with worry. 

 

"Yes." She says something else and then a goodbye to Louis. His hands shake as he tries to open the car door, his keys slipping through his fingers. He drops his keys three times before he finally get it in. 

 

He's trying to obey the speed limit- they don't need Louis to get an accident too. No one is on the streets and the radio is loud and distracting. He slams his hand on the volume button to cease it- he probably broke it. His knuckles are white from how hard he is gripping it. Horrible thoughts are running through his head. How bad is Harry hurt? He didn't even think to ask. How bad was the accident? Is someone else hurt? Was it Harry's fault? Did he have his seatbelt on? All he nurse said was he was stable nothing else. 

 

"Fuck!" Louis shouts, slamming his hands on the wheel. His hair falls into his face and he goes to move it, his hand catching a falling tear off. He's crying and he didn't even know when he started. Harry could be dead within hours. Just because he is stable doesn't mean he's going to make it. This might be the last time he'll see Harry. "Fuck- _fuck_!" He keeps shouting. Louis isn't paying attention to anything else in his mind, running red lights and stop signs. 

 

All he can focus on is his Harry.

 

He makes it to the hospital in mere minutes, much shorter than ever possible. His black car zooms into the first parking spot he sees. It's probably handicap or something special but Louis barley even has enough time to get the keys out to even worry about that. He wipes his face and tries to stop the tears as his body guides him in what must be the right direction. Skipping the elevator he runs up three flights and bursts through the door. 

 

"367, 367.." He mumbles to himself as he passes the front desk- ignoring the nurse at it asking him a question. Louis is jogging slightly, his pj shorts big on his body as well as his jacket. They're both Harry's. 

 

_Room 367_  

 

He bolts inside, a nurse is standing there and hovering over the bed. Harry is lying there. His hair ratted and messy across the pillow. There is a bandage wrapped around his head along with cuts over his arms and face. They're long and deep, but some are small and short. All of them make Louis' stomach drop. He doesn't even wanna know what might be under Harry's clothes. He's shaking with silent tears as he approaches his broken man. Harry looks like a wreck- his handsome beauty cut up and scarred. IVs sticking out of him and Louis looks away from them so he doesn't faint. There is a tube sticking out of Harry's mouth which Louis learned from his mum is just to give the patient help with breathing even if they're okay. 

 

_Harry please be okay_. 

 

Louis takes Harry's hand in his- there is a bandage wrapped around that as well. When he imagined he would see Harry again- it wasn't like this. He would never wish this. Louis tries to swallow the lump in his throat. 

 

"Are you Louis Styles?" The nurse asks from across the bed. He nods his head and looks at Harry's tired face, bruises marking the pale skin. "He was in a car accident just a bit down the road. He must had lost control of the car and crashed into the telephone full. Mr. Styles was not wearing a seat belt and was flung from the seat. He is very lucky to have only gotten some minor cuts and bruises on his body but he did injury his head as well as breaking two ribs-" she says some other things before letting Louis be. He's going to wake up sometime soon. He has too. It's Harry he's a strong guy. Sure the ribs are gonna be a bitch to heal but he's not gonna die. 

 

"Also sir." She speaks up right at the door. "Mr. Styles was highly intoxicated and the police will return to talk with him further once he is awake and healing." Louis blinks at her as she leaves.   

 

"You fucking dumbass, you of all people know to wear a seatbelt and you know not to fucking drink and drive." He growls at Harry and sits in the closest chair. "I can't believe you Harry. You hate when people drink and you're gonna drink and drive?" Louis is beginning an argument with himself. Sighing he finds a comfortable position and waits for Harry to wake up. 

 

*

 

Louis only got three hours of sleep when he's woken by a nurse who instructs him to exist the room. His eyes are closed and his brain is off and he doesn't realize until he's out of the room that he is  _out of the room_. He attempts to enter again but a random nurse forces him away to a waiting chair next to the door. They're only in there for a few minutes before the line of nurses and a doctor exists the room. 

 

"Hey! What just happened?" Louis asks them all. Only the youngest nurse turns to him with a smile. 

 

"Everything is okay. Mr. Styles heart was speeding up from the combination of the drugs we gave him and the alcohol he drank-." 

 

"Wait- what?!" Louis blinks. "Why are you giving him drugs that make his heart act up? Aren't you supposed to know this shit?" The nurse looks unfazed but Louis feels rage. 

 

"Don't worry, sir. We had to give Mr. Styles an IV and what it does is washes out the alcohol from his system while pumping in the drugs." 

 

"So he's going to be okay?" Louis says slowly because  _none_  of this makes sense. Maybe he'll webmd it later. 

 

"Do not worry, Mr. Styles, he will be just-" He blinks and swallows the lump forming in his throat.

 

"-Tomlinson" Louis whispers. 

 

"Pardon?" He swallows again, glaring at a random chair. Maybe if he glares hard enough it will catch on fire and will burn his next sentence. 

 

"My last name is Tomlinson, not Styles." His eyes close, it still hurts the fact that he's back being a lame old Tomlinson. His best times was when we was a Styles.  _Fuck_. His blue eyes find her brown eyes and he focuses on those instead because if he thinks too much he will cry. 

 

"Oh," her voice is super high. "Please forgive me, sir. On Mr. Styles emergency contact for it has your name as Louis Styles. I am very sorry for any confusion. If you which to switch it back just go talk to the nurse at the front desk and she will be happy to fix it." And with that she walks away. Why the fuck is this lady so damn nice? Nurse Jackie isn't this nice. Right? Louis' never seen that show. 

 

But Louis doesn't want to fix it. He wants to talk to  _Harry_  about why Louis isn't just his emergency contact but why the fuck is he still Louis fucking  _Styles_. Oh, this boy better wake soon. 

 

Louis stomps into the room again but just as before Harry is sleeping and lying there under a thin blanket and a gown. He looks even worse now that Louis isn't overtaken in the shock of it all. His cuts on his body seem to be deep, some of them even have bandages around them. Half of his face is a dark black, blue and purple bruise. His sharp handsome features are still there. Louis can't lie about that. He can still see the sharp jawline- now which has a long thin cut. His giant, calloused hands are also cut up- one in fact has a bandage around it as well. 

 

Feeling slightly sick from the sight of Harry Louis sits in the chair again. It only takes him mere seconds to fall asleep. 

 

*

 

Harry wakes up the next day. Louis is watching some soap opera and nursing a cup of tea. At first Louis is too engrossed in the horrible acting and script play that he doesn't notice Harry is awake until he moans loudly. 

 

"Shh." Louis says. Just like the old days. His brain takes a couple seconds to register what exactly is happening -still used to the past- before he looks over to the broken man. "Harry!" He shouts. The green eyes are open slightly and are blinking slowly. Louis presses the nurse call button to inform the staff.

 

"Hello Mr. Styles." She says as she starts to grab the clipboard. "How are you feeling?" Harry doesn't even pay attention to her, his eyes are focused on Louis. Harry doesn't answer. "Mr. Styles?"

 

"A lot of pain." He answers slowly, eyes burning into Louis' face. Louis wants to say something to him, ask a million questions but he just stares back. Louis hasn't seen those eyes in six months unless he was looking at a picture and now, here he is. They are still so bright and green. The nurse asks him a few more things, takes a few tests and finally tells Harry what happened and what the damage is. 

 

"So," Harry croaks out once she leaves. "What are you doing here?" Louis rolls his eyes at him. 

 

"Why didn't you ever take me off your emergency contact list?" Louis fires back, crossing his leg over the other. They're fighting. Just like always. 

 

Harry shrugs as well as he can, "I never got around to it, plus..." He trails off and Louis knows what he's going to say. He has no family to put on the list, Louis is his only family. No- _no_  Louis  _was_  his only family. 

 

"I'm sorry, just-" Louis wishes he didn't have to have this conversation. "Just take me off of your emergency contact list. Maybe put Liam down or Nick. We can't keep running into each other or else our divorce was pointless." 

 

"How was it pointless? We aren't married anymore that's the whole point of a  _divorce_." Louis rolls his eyes. Of course they're going to fight even though Harry has just woken up form a car accident. Typical for them. 

 

"The point is we are divorced because we don't get along so I don't wanna see you and you don't wanna see me so why don't we try to keep it that way. These last six months have been amazing." The last sentence was not only unnecessary it was a lie. Louis has been in hell, it's even worse to when he was married to Harry and they would fight every fucking day. Back then they were together but now he just mourns over his old relationship. 

 

Harry just licks his lips, his eyes finally shift away from Louis' face. "Surprised you stayed until I woke up. I figured you would have left as soon as you heard I was okay. Actually," Harry looks at him, face filled with anger. "I'm surprised you even came at all." 

 

"I'm not some selfish bitch Harry." He spats. The one on the bed snorts with laughter. 

 

"I think otherwise." He mumbles but Louis just continues to talk. Ignoring his ignorant comments. 

 

"We might not be together anymore or love for each other but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna come running when I hear you're in the hospital." Louis exclaims. 

 

"What about that time I broke my finger? And we we're together back then-" 

 

"I wasn't even in the country!" Louis shouts, resisting the urge to stand up. Harry opens his mouth to fight back when the door opens and two police officers walk in. 

 

"Mr. Styles?" They look at Harry and so does Louis. He curses himself for answering to the name, he knows better. He's a Tomlinson again. "I'm Officer Smith and this is also officer Smith." The older looking one announces. The other officer nods when his name is said, he looks like he eats children for breakfast with his muscles. 

 

"Smith and Smith? You guys Dean and Sam from Supernatural?" Harry jokes and Louis can't help but smile at that. That was the show they binged watched together when they first started dating. The officers look unimpressed. 

 

*

 

The officers have a lot to say. One of which is the Miranda rights. Harry is being arrested for driving under the influence. Louis just stares at Harry as the man tenses up with anger. His jaw tightens and his fists clench and unclench. Louis knows Harry's angry look down to the T, how could he forget when that's basically all he saw. Apparently once Harry is healed enough to be released from the hospital he will be put in jail until his court date. Harry glances at Louis when they talk about bailing Harry. That means Louis is going to have to bail him out. Just  _perfect._

 

*

 

Harry is released within the week and the  officers arrests him. Louis bites his nails and watches. Harry tells him to stop that because "it's a horrible nasty habit." Louis rolls his eyes as Harry is pushed into the cop car. His court hearing is scheduled in two weeks, on Harry's birthday actually. When he tells Louis he doesn't seem very fazed, actually he sounds just plain? As if it's not a big deal. Louis reluctantly bails Harry from jail after Harry is there for a night.

 

"You couldn't pick me up yesterday? That place smelled like shit and old guys." Harry climbs slowly into the car, careful of his ribs and bruises. 

 

"I thought it would be nice of you to rot for a bit." Louis smirks. He pulls away from the jail and back onto the main road. 

 

"Fucking asshole." Harry reaches to turn up the radio. He's always been deaf. 

 

"Where am I taking you?" Louis asks once they drive a bit. The uncomfortable tension between them is beginning to drive Louis insane so he needs to drop Harry fast. 

 

"The Alibi Room." He turns to the man who spoke. His eyes are wide as he looks at Harry who is staring out the window with bruises on skin and his left arm sitting in a sling. 

 

"The bar?!" 

 

"Yeah." Harry mumbles and shifts in his seat. 

 

"I'm not taking you to the fucking bar." Louis stops at the red light. He looks at Harry who looks back at him. 

 

"I wanna go to the fucking bar." Harry argues back. 

 

"No you don't, you need to rest and heel and not drink." Louis fights. Harry's eyes harden as the light turns green. They don't speak for about ten minutes until Louis turns left onto the familiar road.  

 

"You're taking me back to the house?" Harry grunts. Louis pulls into the driveway and puts the car in park. 

 

"Yes. You're going to go lay on the couch and heel. Now out of my car and go shower you stink." Louis waves a hand in disgust. 

 

"Fuck you. If you didn't let me "rot in jail" as you call it than I wouldn't fucking smell so bad." Harry finger quotes and struggles out of the car. Louis opens his mouth to offer to help but Harry glares and slams the door closed. Oh  _fuck no_. Louis rolls down his window, no one fucking slams his car door. 

 

"Don't fucking slam my door!" Louis shouts. It's unnecessary and useless. Harry's just going to yell back. They're going to say some bullshit to each other. It's just, something about Harry brings out his cunt side. He never even told Harry how scared he was for him, Harry just drives him  _insane_. 

 

"I'll slam your fucking door if I wanna slam your fucking door!" Harry turns around to shout back. He's walking backwards to the steps.  _He's gonna fall,_  Louis thinks,  _good_. 

 

"You know I hate it!" 

 

"I did it to piss you off! Because I just  _live_  my whole life for pissing you off!" Harry is sarcastic when he fights. His voice somehow gets deeper as he yells while Louis' gets higher. Harry's mentioned that before in a fight and Louis might have thrown the remote at his head. He missed, unfortunately. 

 

"Have fun getting to your court date because I'm not taking you!" 

 

"Good! I already have a ride!" 

 

 Louis just waves and drives away from that  _pest_. 

 

*

 

"Hello?" Louis yawns into the phone. The sunlight is streaming in through a small hole in his curtain. It hits the body mirror over by the bedroom door and reflects towards Louis' face. He adjusts his position to avoid the morning sun. Ever since he was a baby he never was a morning person. He would just glare at people in the morning and fight the urge to slit their throat for being in his presence. 

 

"''Ello?" Someone burps. He mumbles a few other words but it's all just slurring together. 

 

"Harry?" He questions. Sitting up in his bed, the comforter falling off his bare chest. "Harry is that you? If this is some kind of fucking prank because so help me god-." 

 

"Louisssss." Harry drags out the 's' and Louis knows right away he's plastered. "'An yo' come get my?" He says so slowly, focusing and trying to piece the words together. He still fucks it up. 

 

"No Harry. Find your way home you're a grown ass man." Louis flops back down onto his back. Harry burps again and is mumbling to himself. Louis ignores him and looks at the clock, it reads 11am. Harry is fucking wasted at 11am. Who is even on the phone with? His old Harry would never even think about drinking this much. 

 

"'M at police cell." Harry talks even slower this time. 

 

"Are you fucking serious?" Louis wants to throw himself off a bridge. Into deep waters. And take Harry with him. And Harry will have cement bricks on around his feet. Yeah, that sounds good. 

 

"I-you-." Harry starts to babble. 

 

"Harry I have no idea what you're saying." Louis' eyes are closed and he pinches the end of his nose. He has a few options here:

 

_Option one_ : get Harry and dump him back at his house. 

 

_Option two_ : Go get Harry and beat the shit out of him for getting arrested again.

 

_Option three_ : Let Harry rot in jail forever- or until they let him out. Which they hopefully never do. 

 

_Option four_ : Hang up and let Harry call and ruin someone else's life. 

 

"What station are you at?" He sighs into the phone. 

 

He's going with a tie between option one and option two. 

 

*

 

It takes Louis twenty minutes to get Harry out of his car and up into Harry's house. Louis' sweating, angry and just about ready to kill someone. Someone as in Harry. Louis has his arms under both of Harry's armpits -basically dragging him up the front steps because Harry's motor skills are all kinds of drunk. He drops Harry on the couch in the living room. 

 

"Fuck," he pants, "you." Louis points at him. "You fucking smell like the strongest alcohol." Harry's eyes are opened and glossy while his hand is on his stomach. He's bound to throw up soon so Louis travels to the upstairs closest where he knows is a throw up bucket. It's weird to be back here. This house is where Louis and Harry lived before they got married and then when they got married. Harry got the house with the divorce because he could afford it with his big business man paycheck. 

 

He walks down the hallway, passing and ignoring his old bedroom. The door was closed anyways. All of the walls are blank, the pictures of Harry and Louis we're either thrown at each other or Louis took. Well he only took one photo and it was when they met. 

 

Freshman year of college, Louis was the first of his family to go to college. The freshman moved in two days earlier than the upperclassman so that they can get a feel for the campus. Also there were events and activities for them to meet other freshman. Louis was nervous and didn't have any friends yet, his roommate was already ignoring him. But Louis went to his dorms tie-dying event in hopes to meet more people from his building. 

 

He got a shirt and the helpers taught him how to tie-dye and he went to work. Louis was at the red bucket to finish his shirt and that's where Harry came up. They were both dying their shirt and of course Louis' hand slips and the bottles falls into the bucket making the dye splash up and cover them both with red dye. Louis apologized and Harry just laughed and told him it was okay. He touched Louis' arm. Louis blush. Harry asked Louis back to his room to clean up. The whole 9 yards of flirting. 

 

Then they hung out every day, mostly in Harry's room because his roommate was nicer than Louis'. After Christmas break of their first year Harry kissed Louis. They got married three months after graduation, an August wedding. Then the rest was history. Until they divorced, of course. They almost made it a year before divorcing. 

 

Now that's a  _true_  love story.

 

Louis finds the bucket and bring it down to a moaning Harry. His hair is all over his face, sticking to the sweat. Yup, he's gonna throw up. He places it next to Harry's head on the ground and jogs to the kitchen. It's spotless clean- typical Harry. He grabs two waters from an empty fridge, the only things in it is beers, water and a chocolate milk. 

 

"You done fucked up again." Louis places one water down next to Harry. 

 

"'M fine." Harry groans, wiping his face and grabbing the bottled water. Louis should probably put his hair back, be nice because he knows Harry is gonna throw up all over his hair. Louis sits in the arm chair next to the couch, ignoring how often they used to fuck here; Louis would ride Harry for days-. "You go." 

 

"I can't go you're drunk as a stunk and someone needs to make sure you don't choke on your vomit." Louis leans back and crosses his legs. 

 

"Not drunk-." And there we go the first vomit. His wet hair sticks to his face as he throws up, some of it swings in front and yeah Louis should have put his hair up. This is Harry's punishment for making Louis deal with him. Louis can't help but feel a bit of and urge to hold Harry as he throws up, knowing that Harry would have done the same if they were reversed. He hates Harry now but that doesn't mean the love they had for five years together meant nothing to him. 

 

*

 

"Good morning." Louis smirks, Harry fell asleep after about thirty minutes of vomiting. After Louis checked he was breathing and not dead he put in a few movies. "Or afternoon since it's 6pm." 

 

"I think I'm still drunk." Harry holds his head with one hand and pushes into a sitting position with the other. 

 

"Do you know what you did?" Louis starts off quickly. His arms are crossed in front of his chest. 

 

"I went to the bar this morning and-." 

 

"You went to the bar in the morning?! I just thought you were still drunk from last night!" Louis shouts. He's shocked, the Harry he knew would never do that. Yeah Louis guessed Harry drank in the morning but Louis just wish he wasn't right. 

 

"Please don't yell." Harry places his hands in his face. Louis watches as his ex rubs his face up and down. Harry's hair is longer, yet still curly. He's still thin and buff just like he always has been. His arm is still stuck in that sling. And even though he looks like pure shit Louis can't help but still feel attracted to him.  _Fuck me_. "I went to get drunk. The last thing I remember is a blowjob." 

 

"You got a blowjob!" Louis shouts, ignoring the small pain of jealously and hurt inside of him. Okay it's not small. It's only been six months okay.  _Okay_. 

 

"No, no no." Harry rushes out panicky. "The shot blowjob." He explains and Louis feels much better. He hates to admit it but if Harry got a blowjob from someone he would go home to cry. Louis cried for the first 3 months after they divorced, he missed Harry so much but he knew that they didn't belong. Too much fighting and disagreements- not nearly enough love. "Why are you here?" 

 

"You got arrested last night for public intoxication." 

 

"Great. Just great." 

 

"The police said it was going to be added to your court hearing next week." Louis explains and Harry just nods his head. 

 

"You talked to the police- wait did you pick me up?" Harry looks shocked. 

 

"You called me Harry, extremely fucking drunk might I add. I had no clue what you were saying it was hard for me to understand you. But I picked your ass up anyways." Harry blinks at him, Louis waits for a response. 

 

"Well, thanks for helping me." He doesn't sound very thankful. In fact he doesn't even seem faded, as if this has happened before. Harry drinks his water bottle before laying back down, looking at the television. That's why the next words out of Louis' mouth surprise them both. 

 

"I'm going to take you to your court date next week, stay sober until then." Louis blurts out. Harry looks at him but before he can speak Louis is out the door. 

 

*

 

"What the fuck?" He asks himself once he's out of his old neighborhood. "What the fuck!?" Louis shouts at himself. "I'm such a dumbass." 

 

*

 

Louis and Harry don't have contact until the night before the hearing where Louis texts Harry to let him know when he will pick him up. Louis is sitting in his bed watching reruns of how I met your mother. The blue eyed boy looks down at Harry's text. He tries to ignore their old texts but he's always been weak to fight urges. He finds himself reading through them. The newest ones are about the divorce so Louis scrolls back until his phone can't go any further. Back to the start. Back to freshman year. 

 

They were dorks, blind dorks in love. Then once they got together the texts got even more dorky and lovely. Louis wants to tear his eyes away, to not look at them anymore. His heart is hurting and after each text his feelings grew more and more difficult. Louis feels like he's falling in love with Harry again. He's remembering and basically experiencing their story again. Then he gets to their marriage, Harry always sending texts of how late he would be and how we wanted Louis ready for sex. Then it was him being late so don't wait up but save him dinner. Then it was just Harry being late.

 

Their texts got less and less once they married and it started to fall apart. Louis still doesn't know why they fell. They just... _did_. No other explanation. They just fell out of love. But these texts made Louis' heart rise just a bit. He falls asleep around 3am reading their texts when Harry went to America for one summer. How can they make long distance work but not their marriage? 

 

Louis dreams about Harry that night. 

 

*

 

Harry and Louis don't talk all morning until Harry's court hearing is about to start. He's wearing a black suit, one of his from work no doubt, it looks good on him Louis must admit. He's pacing in front of Louis but neither of them talk though. Louis feels like he'll throw up if he does he's so  _nervous_ \- oh god why is he nervous. Harry runs his hair through his hair and Louis tries not to think back how much he teased Harry of doing that in their texts. 

 

Louis is going to wait outside the room but he wishes Harry a good luck. He ignores him and walks in. Louis plays on his phone while he waits for it to be over. He texts him mother to ask how she is doing, he doesn't dare mention Harry. She'll fight him for  _years_  about it. Jay always loved Harry but not after he broke Louis' poor heart. 

 

"Hey." Louis looks up, Harry is walking out with a scowl on his face. 

 

"Didn't go well did it?" Harry shakes his head and sits down next to Louis on the bench. "The judge thinks I'm an alcoholic." He sighs. Louis bites the inside of his check to hold back the  _you are an alcoholic_. "So, I have to do two AA classes every week for twelve weeks. Oh and my license is suspended for six months." 

 

*

 

Somehow Louis ends up agreeing to drive Harry to his AA meetings. They're every Tuesday and Thursday, which for some odd reason works perfectly with Louis' work schedule. He picks up a grumpy Harry and drops off a grumpy Harry. While the meetings are happening Louis sits in the Starbucks across the street and plays on his phone until Harry comes to get him once the meetings are over. 

 

The first meeting Louis had to walk Harry into the building to make sure he went in. Now it's the second meeting and Harry refuses to go into the building. He's sitting on the curb and playing with his phone while Louis watched from the car. 

 

"Are you gonna go in?!" He shouts across the parking lot. Harry just flips him off and Louis isn't gonna stand for that. The small man huffs and hops out of the car before walking towards Harry. He stops in front of him and crosses his arms as he begins to tap his foot. 

 

"I'm not going in." Harry hasn't looked up yet, he's still playing on his' phone. 

 

"Yes you are." Louis growls through his teeth, Harry just shakes his head at him. If Louis could he would rip that phone out of him hand break it into pieces and then shove those pieces down Harry's throat. "I don't make time out of my day to drive you to your  _court mandated_  meetings so that you can be a child and pout on the sidewalk." Harry finally looks up. 

 

"I'm not pouting." 

 

"Really? You don't think so? Because it looks like to me that a poor baby 25 year old is jus-." 

 

"I'm order than you." Harry jumps up, standing taller than Louis and if they were still together and still happy Louis would love how much it turned him on. 

 

"By ten months!" Louis exclaims. 

 

"That's ten months for which you cannot call me a baby." Harry crosses his arms at Louis. 

 

"There is no point for you to be trying to prove to me that you're a baby because you're older. You're just doing this because you're staling for the meeting." Harry glares harder at him. "So now you're," Louis looks at his phone, "ten minutes late. Which means you get to make a grand entrance."

 

"No thanks." Louis stomps his foot at him. 

 

"Go inside now or you'll walking home and I hear it's supposed to snow tonight." The blue eyed boy smirks because he knows he's won once Harry flips him off and walks backwards to the front door to keep his finger pointed towards him.  

 

 

*

 

The third meeting Harry leaves with angry tears and a tense jaw. Louis dared to ask him what happened and they fought about Harry's fuck ups for the whole car ride. Louis takes a nap in the car during Harry's fourth meeting.  

 

"Got my sling off yesterday." Harry announces once he enters the car. Louis looks at him, now noticing how his face has heeled and how much better he looks since the accident. He's practically back to normal.  

 

"I can tell." Louis smiles, trying not to argue for once. 

 

"Can I ask you for a favor?" Harry looks at him and Louis wants to say something snarky but instead nods his heads yes. "The therapist said that I need to throw out all my alcohol and I need someone there to help me get it all out. Will you do it with me after the meeting?" Louis blinks before answering. 

 

"Of course I'll help." 

 

*

 

"Oh my god." Louis breathes once Harry brings in the last bottle. They had gathered all the alcohol from around the house and placed it in the kitchen before disposing. "Harry, where did you get all of this? There is at least 7 bottles of vodka in here." He points to the pile.

 

"I guess that I had gathered it over the months." He shrugs and starts to empty out the first bottle into the sink. 

 

"Why would you ever do this? This- you're, an al-." Louis shuts his lips before he talks anymore. 

 

"What?" Harry grabs another bottle to dump and Louis follows. 

 

"Huh?" Louis watches Harry's sad eyes at the liquid following down the drain. 

 

"What were you about to say?" Harry interrogates and Louis grabs another bottle. 

 

"I don't wanna fight right now. This is about you moving on and getting better so let's just," Louis looks away from Harry's green eyes. He hates to admit it but he missed them. "Move on." He whispers. They need to move on, actually they were moving on until Harry decided to drag Louis back down to hell. 

 

"Oh." He sighs. Louis says nothing continues to pour three more bottles while Harry just stares at the large stash around them. 

 

"Hey," Louis snaps his fingers, "keep going." Harry glares at him, Louis glares back.

 

They're about to fight. 

 

"Don't snap at me." Harry steps into Louis' space. He hates how Harry uses his height and advantage against him.  _Hates it_. 

 

"I'll do whatever the fuck I want." Louis stands up straighter and sets down the half empty bottle of tequila. They're staring each other down, tension of their last weeks’ time together burning in the air. Neither of them dare speak, they know that once of one starts then they will start yelling. 

 

It's minutes of this when Harry finally steps away. He starts to walk out of the room, leaving Louis. Of course Louis is just as stubborn as Harry but that doesn't stop him from shouting after him. 

 

"Get the fuck back here and finish this!" He stomps his foot as an angry Harry turns back to face him. Louis shouldn't be yelling he should be helping Harry get better. 

 

"You fucking finish it if you want it done so bad!" They are a foot away from each other but they are yelling. 

 

"This is for  _you_!" Louis' voice raises "we are dumping these out for  _you_. So don't think you're going anywhere until this is done!" He keeps his voice stern like he's talking to a child. 

 

"Well I don't wanna dump these out so-." 

 

"That's because you're a fucking alcoholic!" Louis yells louder. Harry pauses- but only for a moment. 

 

"You think I'm an alcoholic?" He doesn't yell he just stares. 

 

"If your  _Alcoholic Anonymous_  classes are anything to go by then I'd say you are." He crosses his arms and juts out his hip. 

 

"I'm not an alcoholic." Harry is growling through his teeth now and Louis smirks because he's winning the fight. 

 

"Fine. If you don't think you're an alcoholic then you need to dump all of these bottles out by yourself," Louis walks towards the island chair. "I'm gonna sit here and watch you do it _Mr. Non-alcoholic_." Harry walks to Louis and stops in front of him. He leans down so that the two men are face to face. 

 

"You're such a fucking  _faggot_." Harry whispers. Louis feels his heart stop. No- _no,_ Harry did not just call him that. He knows not too. He fucking  _knows not too._ That was the name Louis was called when he was bullied before he meet Harry. The name has scarred him and causes horrible memories to resurface. Louis told Harry that when he was at his most vulnerable and he's bringing it up  _now_.   

 

Louis slaps Harry across the face before leaving. 

 

*

 

"Can't believe he called you that." Niall takes a bit of his Chinese. He chews with his mouth open and Louis wrinkles his nose up in disgust. Louis invited Niall and Liam over for dinner to discuss his Harry problem. They are sat on the couch with Louis in between them. 

 

"I just, I feel like I've been doing so much for him and it fucking sucks that he still treats me like shit. Then again I haven't been that nice to him." Louis admits. "I just wish we could go back to being divorced and ignoring each other." 

 

"I think," Niall swallows his bite, "that you need to just stop taking him to his meetings and stop being his little bitch."

 

"I'm not his little bitch." Louis glares. 

 

"Sure you're not." Niall shrugs and God Louis hates him sometimes. No, that's a lie he's just bitter about Harry. Fucking Harry. He drives him insane even when he's not around. 

 

"What do you think Liam?" Louis flops his body over Liam's legs. 

 

"I think he was outta place but so were you." Liam points his chopsticks down at Louis. "But you need to understand that he's trying to get over you and his addiction. Which is very difficult when you're the reason for his addiction." Louis shoots back up and looks at Liam's face closely. 

 

"I'm his what?" Louis' eyes are wide and his brain knows what he's heard but isn't processing it. 

 

"I said that you're the reason Harry resorted to drinking and became an alcoholic." Louis turns to Niall who nods in agreement. 

 

"What the fuck?" He whispers to himself. His blue eyes burn into his lap as his brain searches for an answer. He's Harry's cause. The divorce made Harry drink? His perfect Harry became an alcoholic because he lost Louis? "I don't," he licks his lips, "this makes no sense to me. Harry wanted the divorce so why did that make him drink?" 

 

"Because he obviously loved you and had to find a way to get over you." Niall answers. 

Louis stands up and starts to pace, half talking to himself and half talking to the boys.

 

"So, what I'm understanding is that Harry wanted a divorce."

 

"Yes." They both answer and Louis just continues. 

 

"And after our divorce he was still in love with me so he had to get over me by drinking me away?" 

 

"Correct." Niall answers. Louis shushes him.  

 

"So, me being around him is making him better or worse?" He looks towards Liam. 

 

"It's hard to say, mate-."

 

"Because I could be making him better by being with him because he doesn't need to drink to get over me but then again what happens whenever he's done with his meetings and he gets his license back? Will he go back to drinking? Will it be worst this time? Oh my god I drove my ex-husband to drink himself into a car accident imagine what he'll do if I leave again!" Louis rambles on, feelings and pain flashing through his brain about the night of Harry's accident. He remembers how scared he was to lose Harry and how he would be even more broken than he already was. His heart was aching for Harry to be okay and even though they're apart Louis still had -no  _has_  feelings for him.

 

"Oh fuck me." Louis whines. 

 

*

 

It takes Louis three more hours of pacing and two large pizzas to understand that he still has feelings for Harry. His old feelings from their five years together never left him even during their fight filled and hate marriage. Liam and Niall left around an hour of pacing and told Louis good luck. Good luck for what? Do they expect Louis to just go up to Harry and be like, "hey sorry I called you an alcoholic I didn't realize I made you into that. Oh and I also still have feelings for you for some reason." Yeah,  _nope_. Louis isn't going to tell Harry this, they need to move on, that is the whole point of a divorce. Is to move on with their lives. So Louis pushes down his feelings and calls Harry to let him know he can't drive him anymore. 

 

"Louis?" Harry sounds shocked when he answers. Louis is sitting Indian style in the middle of his bed and starts to pick at a broken string of his comforter. 

 

"Hey Harry." He starts. Louis did not think this conversation through. "I just called because I wanted to apologize."  _Good start, good start Louis_. "And-."

 

"No, god no, Louis let me apologize." Harry interrupts quickly. He sounds worried and actually  _apologetic_. Louis let's him talk. "It's just hard for me right now and you have been there since the accident helping me and I've just treated you like shit. I don't mean too I'm just stubborn and cranky. Then I called you that  _word_  and I never felt so shitty. You trusted me with that and even though we aren't together anymore I had no right to say that to you. I'm very sorry Louis I totally understand if you wanna drop me and stop driving me everywhere." Louis holds the phone away to make sure he's actually talking to Harry and  _yup_. This is not how Louis imagined the phone call to go. He never  _ever_  expected Harry to apologize to him, it kinda makes his heart smile. 

 

"Harry," his voice is soft, "I -it's okay, I forgive you."  _Okay good Louis, now tell him everything has got to stop_. "I'm sorry for what I said also just know that. It's been rough seeing you again and,"  _say you're done_ , "I want to continue helping you if you still want me too."  _No! Take it back Louis take it back! You still have time_. 

 

"Oh, I think that would be very nice of you if you wanna help but only if you want too." Harry rushes out.  _Okay, Louis all you have to say is no. Just no._

 

"Yeah of course. I'll see you on Tuesday."  _Louis you fucking dumbass!_

 

_*_

 

Then just like that they're back into their rhythm. Harry is slightly happier yet still grumpy while Louis is slightly happier yet still confused. He doesn't know what he's feeling and if he totally wants it. He just doesn't understand and the person he would talk to about this is the person it's about. 

 

Somehow Louis found himself back at Harry's to finish dumping out the bottles. They did it in silence and once they were done Louis hugged Harry goodbye. No words were exchanged. Now it's the fifth week of Harry's meetings and the man seems better than ever he was happy in the car and they actually laughed instead of fighting. 

 

"How did it go?" Louis asks after the meeting. Harry came into the Starbucks with a smile and a wave to Louis. It's all strange yet it makes Louis' stomach twist- but in a good way. They walk to the car together and Louis isn't purposely walking close to Harry. Nope. Not at all.

 

"If was good. Dr. Carter pulled me away at the end of the meeting to tell me how proud of me is she. She said that I'm making an increasing fast recovery." 

 

"That's a good thing right?" Louis swings his arms. 

 

"I'm not sure," Harry shrugs, "I think it is because I'm recovering faster but- I don't know." They reach the car but stand in front of it to continue their conversation. 

 

"Well did she say what makes you so special?" Louis looks at Harry who clears his throat and speaks slower than usual. 

 

"She said that someone or something has come into my life." Harry stares into Louis' eyes and the smaller man stares back. He knows it's him,  _hell_ by the look in Harry's eyes they both know it's him. But why wouldn't it be him? Louis thinks. Of course it's him, he was the cause for Harry to start drinking in the first place then he's the cause for him to get better. 

 

"Well, good job." Louis smiles before getting in the car. It's a silent ride back to Harry's, no one says anything until they reach his house. 

 

"See you." Harry mumbles as he begins to exit the car. 

 

"Do you wanna get dinner?" The smaller man blurts out. He wasn't expecting himself to say and by Harry's face he wasn't expected to either. 

 

"Sure." 

 

*

 

"I haven't been here in forever." Harry comments as they settle into their booth. The last time they were here was when they were together. For some odd reason Louis choose this place instead of anything else. 

 

"It's a good one." Louis nods and looks at the menu. There is a small awkwardness throughout the air but Louis decides to just ignore it. 

 

"How is your family?" Harry asks, knowing very well that he was once a part of Louis' family. 

 

"They are all good. Sometimes they're too much so it's good I don't live at home. Whenever I talk to them on the phone it just sounds like a zoo." Louis chuckles and Harry smiles back. The waiter comes and they order their drinks and food. 

 

"I remember when I first met them," Harry says once the waiter leaves, "I was so scared because this entire 5 foot family was just surrounding me." Harry laughs. 

 

"Hey now!" Louis sips his straw. 

 

"You're all short, I mean you're like 5"2." Harry leans back. The atmosphere around them becoming more comfortable and less awkward. 

 

"I'm not 5"2!" Louis laughs. 

 

"Okay how about 5"4? 5"4 is cute and fits you." Harry smiles at him and Louis blushes at the other man. 

 

"I'm cute?" Louis dares to flirt back. 

 

"I wouldn't say that-." 

 

"You just did!" Louis smiles brightly. "You know how tall I am, I told you the first time we met because you were so fascinated by it." Louis leans forward on the table. 

 

"5"5 and a half." Harry tells him quietly. "Or 5"6 if you're wearing a certain pair of shoes." Louis' insides shiver at Harry's words. He remembers, word from word what Louis said. _Fuck_  his feelings need to leave him.  

 

"Remember that one time I put on your gold boots?" Louis starts to laugh, Harry chuckling as well. 

 

"And you're feet where like half the shoe." Harry continues the story. "Then you decided to go get the mail and you fell down the front steps." 

 

"It hurt so bad." Louis shakes his head at his past self and smiles. 

 

"I remember you screaming Bloody Mary and I came out to see you laying upside down on the stairs with one of my boots halfway across the front yard." Harry laughs. 

 

That's how they're dat - _dinner_  goes. Laughs, past memories and Louis' heart growing just a bit for the other lad. 

 

 

*

 

On Saturday Louis gets a strange text from Harry asking him to come over as soon as he can. Louis responds with a question mark but never gets an answer. He contemplates not going because he's already in his pjs and curled up in a ball in bed watching tv but of course his senses are tingling. So he sighs and changes his shoes, deciding that his pjs are clothes enough -Harry's old clothes from college but whatever. 

 

It starts to rain when Louis gets out of his car and walks up the front steps of Harry's house. He feels off when he reaches the front door and doesn't hesitate to just walk inside. Everything is dark, all the lights off expect for the living room. Louis can hear the television blaring -some news channel-  it's the only light in this house. 

 

"Harry?" He calls out. He walks slowly and cautiously, feeling like he's in some fucking slasher movie. Of course Harry doesn't answer so that makes Louis feel more like someone gonna murder him. The small man reaches the doorway and walks inside; there is a pungent weird cooper smell in the room. First thing he sees is the anchorwomen on the screen, her light is illuminating the room- more importantly Harry. He's sat leaning against the couch, his legs spread out under the coffee table and his right hand is laying limp on the ground next to him. 

 

"Lou." Harry turns his eyes towards him and Louis rushes forward. There is a bottle of some type of alcohol laying empty on the opposite side of Harry. On the other side is Harry's limp hand which is cut open and bleeding and what seems to be a broken bottle next to it. Louis kneels down next to him, careful of the shards, he grabs Harry's face to look into his ex-husbands eyes. It's hard to see in the dark lighting but he's drunk- Louis can tell by Harry's alcohol covered breath is hitting his face. 

 

"Oh Harry." He whispers, his eyes tearing up to see his old lover so  _lost_. Louis looks Harry up and down to see if there are any more injuries before grabbing his hand. It's cut and bloody but it doesn't seem to deep nor to open so hopefully no stitches are needed. Louis shakes his head at him and pulls Harry up as best he can. The taller man leans on him and let's a small Louis guide him to the closest bathroom. Harry flinches when Louis flicks the lights on, squeezing his eyes closed. "Harry can you sit on the toilet?" Louis asks, trying to sit him down on the lid. Thankfully he obliges. 

 

Harry put a first aid kit in at least every room in the house when they first moved in and thankfully the one under the bathroom sink is still there. Louis gets to work on Harry's hand, washing it up and checking to see just how bad the damage is. No one talks while Louis works, Harry does groan when Louis puts peroxide on it. The smaller boy doesn't apologize. He can't believe he's here, of course Harry can't just recover smoothly. There was always gonna be a fuck up and Louis shouldn't be glad it happened. All of Harry's progress is ruined. His first month pin is gonna be throw away. 

 

"'M sorry." The hurt man mumbles. Louis shakes his head at him; he doesn't want to hear Harry's drunk apologizes he wants them sober and them to be  _real_. "I know, I know, i know-" his breath catches when Louis starts to wrap his hand, "I'm drunk." His head falls, "but I'm sorry." 

 

"Save your apologizes for another day." 

 

"I can't. I can't, I'm so sorry. I'm just so sorry." Louis finishes his nursing job and stands up. 

 

"Bedtime now, let's go." Louis gestures for him to stand up. Harry only leans a bit on Louis this time to the bedroom. Louis takes him to the guest room because he's not taking Harry up the stairs. 

 

"Lou," Harry blinks at him once he's in the bed and Louis has taken off his jeans. "I'm sorry." 

 

"You've said that already." Louis throws the blankets over Harry and heads out. "Goodnight." He calls after him. Harry doesn't answer. 

 

Louis decides to clean up Harry's mess, being careful to pick up all the pieces and not hurt himself. He wishes he wasn't here now. He wishes Harry was okay and him and Louis never had to meet again. He wishes he was back in college where he fell in love with an amazing man. He wishes he wasn't falling back in love with him. 

 

*

 

_Can we talk somewhere in person?_

 

Louis' fingers are hovering over the keyboard as he decides if he should answer yes or no to Harry. They're gonna talk about last night and about themselves and all these things Louis isn't read to talk about. 

 

_I can't I have a lot of work to do._  

 

Louis responds. 

 

_Maybe after all your work is done?_  

 

Louis bites his lips, knowing that Harry doesn't want to give up. 

 

_I'll text you and let you know._

 

_Louis don't be weird, we need to talk._

 

Louis rolls his eyes and replies. 

 

_I'm at work I have to go._

 

Louis lies and turns off his phone before anymore texting can occur. He falls back onto his bed and falls asleep. 

 

*

 

Monday night comes and Louis texts Harry to tell him he can't take him to his meeting. He feels bad but promises that Liam will do it even though Liam will mother Harry as he does. Harry says it’s okay and replies with a cake emoji. An old inside joke. Louis ignores the tingle in his heart. 

 

*

 

Two more weeks past and Harry only has eight more classes. Louis and him have fallen back into their schedule and -thankfully- Harry hasn't talked about how they needed to  _talk_. All Louis needs to do is survive one more month; two days a week. 

 

"Liam has been talking to me lately, I hope that's okay." Harry begins. 

 

"Why wouldn't that be okay?" Louis questions, thoroughly confused. 

 

"Because he was your friend first and I feel like-." 

 

"Harry, don't worry you're fine. He's both our friends and that shouldn't be a problem." If Louis wasn't driving he would put a hand on Harry but is he. Actually if he wasn't divorced he would put a reassuring hand on him anyways. Then again if they weren't divorced than they wouldn't be having this conversation. 

 

"Okay cool." Harry looks out the window. "Anyways he invited us to a game night. Do you wanna go?" Harry asks nicely. Louis wonders if he should, Liam and Niall watching them intensely. Then them yelling at Louis for still loving Harry and how he needs to move on. Overall it just doesn't seem like fun.

 

"I'm in." Louis regrets every choice. 

 

*

 

"Louis it's your turn." Niall calls to him. Louis is getting a Sprite from Liam's fridge and rushes back to table where the other boys sit. They have a stack of board games out, 3 of which they already played and now are playing  _Sorry!_ It's an intense game for these men, they yell and growl at each other. They are competitive for a child's board game. 

 

He gets a  _Sorry!_ card and knocks out Harry's player. 

 

"You little minx." Harry growls at him and picks up his own card,  _move forward 5_. Louis blinks at him but Harry isn't looking. Liam and Niall blink at each other. Harry called him a minx, that's a nickname he would tell him when they were together and being sexual with each other. Louis would be doing something and Harry would come up behind him and call him 'my little minx'. The blue eyed boy shakes the thought from his head.

 

They are just having a simple board game. 

 

"If you take me out Liam I'll fucking cut your balls off." Niall announces as Liam moves his piece closer to Niall's and eventually taking him out. 

 

"Me turn." Louis smiles and picks up his card. "Move forward one." He reads and smirks as he takes out another one of Harry's pieces. 

 

"Come on Lou," Harry whines, reaching out to grip Louis' wrist to stop him from moving the piece. "Put my piece down." He lowers his head and looks deep into Louis' eyes. Louis tries not to whimper. 

 

"Sorry Hun." He smirks as he throws Harry's piece off the board. Harry let's go of his wrist but the tension is still there. He picks up his card and smirks down at it. 

 

"I win!" Harry breaks the tension in the air, moving his last piece into home. 

 

"You cheated!" Louis exclaims. 

 

"Did not!" 

 

"Did to!" He stands up. 

 

"I didn't cheat! How can you cheat you just pick the cards!?" Harry stands up too. 

 

"I don't know but you cheated!" Louis looks around at the board game for an answer. 

 

"I di-." 

 

"Hey," Liam interrupts, "I was thinking we could play twister? It's upstairs in my hall closet would one of you go get it?" 

 

"I'll go." Louis answers, not even glancing at Liam but glaring at Harry before walking away. 

 

"No, no I'll go." Harry rushes up next to him. 

 

"Okay then." Niall says once they are out of ear shout. Liam shakes his head. 

 

*

 

"Why did you come? I can get the game myself." Louis crosses his arms and walks up the stairs. 

 

Harry doesn't answer.  

 

"Oh so now you're just gonna ignore me?" Louis rolls his eyes at Harry. "Fine then." He pouts and hurries up the steps- trying to stay in sync with Harry's double stepping. When the reach the top floor Harry pushes Louis against the wall. 

 

"What the fuck!?" Louis glares and looks into Harry's eyes which are...extremely close to his face. Harry's arms are on either side of his head, not pinning him to the wall but not letting him go freely. 

 

"Shut up." Harry whispers. "Just  _please_ \- shut the fuck up." His eyes looks heavy. 

 

"Excuse me? I-." And Louis shuts up. Harry's nose is touching his own now. He can feel their breaths mixing together, Sprite and Pepsi on their tongues. Harry smells like musk and mint. He smells like memories and good times. He smells like  _home_. 

 

"You talk to much." Harry mumbles out, his lips just  _barely_  touching. Their past kisses start to flow through Louis- all the good ones and the bad ones. Louis reaches up and puts his hand on Harry's check, it's soft and familiar. He's letting his body take over and it's calling for Harry. His mind is clouded with Harry, just so much Harry. He loves it. 

 

"Make me stop then." Harry's mouth is already on his before Louis can finish his sentence. Their mouths are hot together. Louis can taste the sweet Pepsi on Harry's tongue as they rubs against each other's. One of Harry's hand comes up to Louis' neck while the other travels down to his hips. They are kissing softly but rough at the same time. They kissing lazy but rushing as well. It’s a perfect kiss, Louis might say. The smaller man tries to rush the kiss and grips Harry's hair harder but the other slows him down.  Harry's tongue is moving slowly against Louis'. He's controlling Louis.

 

Louis' back is flush against the wall. One of his hands are in Harry's hair while the other is gripping the taller man’s shirt. He's never gonna let go. Harry slowly kisses the corner of Louis mouth and then his cheek and then his neck and back up until he reaches his lips again. Louis says nothing and keeps his eyes closed because if he thinks about then he will explode. 

 

Harry pulls away, Louis tries to keep their mouths together but the taller man puts his forehead on Louis'. Blue eyes stare into green. 

 

"I love you." Harry whispers. He pecks Louis' slowly. "I'm still in love with you." He says again. 

 

Louis explodes. 

 

He pushes Harry away and storms down the stairs. His  _ex-husband_  is calling after him. His  _ex-husband_  who he just kissed. His  _ex-husband_  who is still in love with him.

 

"Louis what's wrong?" Liam asks when he spots Louis running through his house with tears down his face. Louis doesn't even notice he's crying but he can feel his emotions overloading. Harry is right on his tale so he doesn't bother to put his shoes on or grab his keys he just walks right outside. Louis is still running when he's outside, his feet hurt on all the rocks and his body is getting soaked because Mother Nature is raining down his tears. 

 

Harry is still calling his name. Louis can't see through the rain and tears so he stops. He finds a bench, maybe he's at a park but he's not sure. Why is he running? Can he not just say he loves Harry back? No, he  _can't_. He's weak. Then again so is Harry. 

 

"Louis." Harry is breathing heavy. He appears through the rain and stands in front of the smaller man. They're about a foot apart and even though Louis is sitting down he still feels like the smallest thing on earth and maybe if he sits so still he'll shrink down even smaller and be able to hide from his problems. Louis hopes his tears are mixing with the rain so Harry can't see them. "Louis why did you run?" Harry yells over the rain droplets that are pouring down. 

 

Louis doesn't comment. He just looks at Harry and admires. The long hair which is now wet but still holds some curl to it. His clothes are drenched and he's wearing no shoes. Louis looks at Harry's face. His eyes are squinted to keep the rain at bay and his lips are calling him. 

 

"I love you Louis!" There it is again. The third time he said it today. Maybe third time is the charm because Louis answers. 

 

"I ran because I love you too." He yells over the rain, "but we can't be in love." Louis steps forward. How cliché is all this? 

 

"Why not? We were before so what's stopping us now?" Louis shakes his head at him but steps even closer. 

 

"We are divorced, did you forget? We divorced because we aren't meant to be." 

 

"Do you know what that divorce did to me?" Harry's chest is rising and falling steadily. "It broke me Louis. I lost my only family because I was too invested in my job and too worried about fighting with you than loving you. I went to drinking and I regret every second of it." He takes a step forward.  

 

"You wanted the divorce." Louis reminds him, sniffling. "I only agreed because," he looks at Harry's chest as the tears rush faster, "because I thought I wasn't enough for you. I thought you feel out of love with me and I wasn't going to make you stay with me if you wanted out!" He looks back up into the green eyes. Harry knows that Louis is crying now. 

 

"I never wanted out," he steps forward, their toes touching now. "I wanted  _you_  to be happy so I divorced you. Then I realized that I need you for me to be happy, so I started drinking and drinking." He closes his eyes. "Every second we are broken up I feel dead inside." He whispers the last part and thankfully they're so close that Louis can hear him.

 

"We don't need to be broken up."  Louis whispers back and Harry opens his eyes. 

 

"What?" Harry's mouth is dry even with all the rain. 

 

"I mean," the smaller man grabs Harry's hand and holds it, "I wouldn't mind getting back together if you would take me." 

 

"Of course I'll take you!" Harry squeezes Louis' hand.

 

“Good, I think we both need a second chance.” Louis squeezes back.

 

 "Do you want me back? Do you want to take me and my alcoholic self?" Harry asks. Louis doesn't even hesitate to answer. 

 

"Absolutely. I love you Harry, all of you and some of you needs a fixing. But some of me needs a fixing too. We need to stop fighting and start loving but I believe we can do that." Louis stands up on his toes. 

 

"Yeah," he licks his lips, "we can do that." Harry's eyes are big and happy and he's smiling and Louis is smiling and he's happy and their mouths are touching and they're kissing and it's all just,

 

_perfect_. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? 
> 
> twitter is sweetkisseslou hit me up if you want


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